Tank fitting



Aug. 10, 19.43.

H. W. STEINE R TANK FITTING Filed April 26, 1941 Ill A 'Illu/[lill I A A y' INVENTQR C7 HUBBARn-MSTEHVER v BY ATORNEY I Patented Aug. 10, 1943 TANK FITTING Hubbard W. Steiner, Detroit,

Mich., assignor to vUnited States Rubber (kmpany, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey I ApplicatonApril 26,1941, Serial No. 390,437 4 Claims. (Cl. B20- 63) This invention relates to tank ttings and in particular it relates to means for forming a uid tight joint between relatively exible members and a rigid member, such as a conduit or iiller connection or a rigid tank.

In the manufacture of tanks and particularly puncture sealing tanks which incorporate a plurality of flexible layers of puncture sealing material, much diiiiculty is encountered in the manner of securing iittings to such various layers at points where fittings are associated with the tank. In accordance with the practice of my invention, I provide a grommet-like structure of resilient composition having a pair of radially extending nanges adapted to embrace a plurality of layers including puncture sealing materials.

The grommet includes a rigid annular member imbedded in the body of the grommet and provided with means with which the rigid annular member may be securedto an outer rigid casing. The same means may also function to secure the grommet to other parts ordinarily associated with tank ttings such as a lling cap and iiange. Among the objects of my invention are to provide a tank fitting in which laminations of puncture sealing layers are retained in their normal freestate without the requirement of any clamping action; to provide a tting which eiectively seals the opening formed in tank lining materials so as to prevent the edges of the lining material from being exposed to the liquid contents of the tank; to provide a tank tting which forms a permanent partA of the tank lining and which may be easily attached to an outer supporting casing; and to provide a tank iitting which may be economically manufactured and readily assembled with its associated members.l These and other objects and advantageswill appear more fully inthe following detailed description whenI considered in connection with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a in section, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section of a tank fitting assembly taken along lines lI-lI of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, in section of a detail of a tank tting.

Referring to the drawing, and in particular to Fig. l, I show a tank in the form of a rectangularly shaped container I0. 'This tank includes an outer supporting casing II of a rigid material such as sheet metal. Lying adjacent the inner wall of the casing II-is a puncture sealing lining formed of composite layers I2, I3,

tank, partly and I4. The present tank is particularly adapted as a fuel container for airplanes, for storing liquids such as gasoline.' The composite layers I2, I3, and I4, function collectively to prevent large tears in the tank lining and to seal apertures formed in the lining by penetrating objects such as projectiles.. v

One example of a composite lining material includes the inner lay'er I2 formed of a duck fabric having its inner surface coated with a.V

'ture sealing lining, it is to be understood that various materials and various combinations of layers may be associated together to form the puncture sealing wall.

Various types of ttings are usually associated with'gas tanks. For example, a ller passage may include a fitting such as a ilange I5 and a iiller cap I6. The ange I5 is xed in rigid relationship with the 'tank I0 while the cap I6 is threaded thereto and is easily removable for the purpose of opening the ller passageway.

In order to join the composite puncture sealing lining formed oi layers I2, I3, and I4 with the outer casing I I and with the flange I5, I proaccompanying vide a grommet II which in general comprises an annular body portion having outwardly extending iianges I 8 and I9 in Vspaced parallel relation to form an annular slot 20 for the reception of the lining material composed of laminated layers I2, I3, and I4.' A circular opening ZI is cut through the lining material to form a circular opening corresponding to the diameter of the surface 22 forming the base of the opening 29 of the grommet I 1.

Completely imbedded within the body portion of the grommet I'I is an annular ring 23 formed preferablyof metal. A plurality of tapped holes 24 are machined in the ring 23, and apertures 25 extending through the rbodyportion of the grommet I7 form passageways to the tapped holes 24 1 from the outer surface of the grommet.

' The grommet I1 is preferably formed of a composition which is not ordinarily a'ected by contact with liquids such as gasoline. A satisfactory material for this purpose is neoprene. 'Ihe gromsurfaces of the lining material, are coated with self-curing cement preferably a neoprene cement.

In assembling the grommet with the liningv material, one of the flanges I8 or I9 of the grommet is distorted and forced through the opening 2l in the lining. Thereafter the anges I8 and I9 are pressed rmly against the layers I4 and I2, respectively, until the adhesion of the cement on the respective surfaces forms a bonded action therebetween. The widthof the slot 20 of the grommet I1 -is slightly less than the total width of the composite lining formedof the layers I2, I3, and I4. When the grommet is attached to the lining material it forms a unit part thereof and after the lining is placed within the outer supporting inclosure II, the openings 25 formed in the grommet I1 align with corresponding openings 26 through the wall of the tank inclosure I I.

Machine screws 21 extend through the openings 26 and 25 and engage in cooperative relation with the threaded holes 24 in the ring 22. This means of attachment secures the grommet I1 in a xed relative position with the tank inclosure I I and at the same time secures the iange I5. The machine screws 21 are provided with shoulder portions 28 Which engage with the top surface of the metal ring 23 to lim-it the amount of compression imparted to the neoprene composition of the grommet which lies between the top of the ring 23 and the inner surface of the tank inclosure I I. The thickness of the resilient material between these surfaces is such that a substantial degree of compression will be exerted on the composition of the grommet I1 when the machine screws 21 are tightenedin place. This leaves the entire remaining portion of the grommet I1 and flanges I8 and I9 relatively7 free of compression stresses.

While I have illustrated my invention as being adapted for use in connection with an inlet passageway, it is to be understood that the grommet construction may be used for other tank openings such as tank outlets, hand holds, pipe connections and the like, and therefore, the invention is susceptible of those modifications which appear within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A tank structure comprising a puncture sealing container having an opening therein, a resilient annular body 4positioned within the opening, a pair of spaced resilient anges formed integral with said annular body and extending radially outward therefrom and secured to opposite surfaces of the puncture sealing container, a ring of rigid material adapted to have screw threads formed therein imbedded within the annular body, an outer casing for supporting the container, and means for securing the ring to the outer casing.

2. A tank structure comprising a puncture sealing container having an opening therein, a neoprene annular body Apositioned within the opening', a pair of spaced neoprene ianges formed integral with the annular body and extending radially outward therefrom and secured to opposite surfaces of the puncture sealing container,

a ring of rigid material adapted to have screw threads formed therein imbedded within the annular body, an outer casing for supporting tlre container, and means for securing the ring to the outer casing.

3. A tank structure comprising a puncture sealing container having an opening therein, a resilient annular body positioned within the opening and having spaced holes therein, a pair of spaced resilient flanges formed integral with the annular body and extending radially outward therefrom and secured to opposite surfaces of the puncture sealing container, a ring of rigid material having threaded openings and imbedded Within the annular body, an outer casing for supporting the container, and means for securing the ring to the outer casing, said securing means comprising shouldered machine screws extending through said holes into said openings to provide a controlled compression of the resilient material lying between the ring and the outer casing.

4. A tank structure comprising a resilient container having an opening therein, a resilient an- .nular body positioned within the opening, a pair of spaced resilient anges formed integral with the annular body and extending radially outward therefrom and secured to opposite surfaces of the container, a ring of rigid material adapted to have screw threads formed therein and im- |bedded within the annular` body, an outer casing for supporting the container, and means extending through the casing and a portion of the resilient body and into the said ring for securing the ring to the outer casing. 

